7889 (1994 LX)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 7889 (1994 LX)

Key Facts

Overview

7889 (1994 LX) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1994 LX as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1994 LX orbits the sun every 518 days (1.42 years), coming as close as 0.83 AU and reaching as far as 1.70 AU from the sun. 1994 LX is about 1.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1994 LX has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.74 hours.

1994 LX's spectral type None (Tholen) / V (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

1994 LX's orbit is 0.16 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1994 LX's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 10, 1977. It was last officially observed on Sept. 18, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,879 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1994 LX:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.262 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3462
  • Inclination: 36.91°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 111.26°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 349.18°
  • Mean Anomaly: 58.88°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.68000 km
  • Magnitude: 15.33
  • Albedo: 0.452
  • Spectral type (SMASS): V

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 518 days (1.42 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.50 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.70 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.83 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.74 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 7889 (1994 LX) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1994 LX to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.